Question

Throughout the movie, Wendell Smith (the African American reporter) chronicles Jackie Robinson’s first season in Major League Baseball. Why does he have such a personal stake in the success of Jackie Robinson? (Think about how he is treated as a reporter.)

Answer 1

The correct answer to this open question is the following.

Although there are no references about the movie, an article, or a link to the movie, we can help you by commenting based on our knowledge of the topic.

Wendell Smith had such a personal stake in the success of Jackie Robinson because he covered and supported his career from the very beginning.

Wendell Smith had chosen three African American players to participate in a tryout for the Boston Red Sox. One of them was Jackie Robison, who, at that time, played for the Kansas City Monarchs. He was a shortstop.

For whatever reasons that try-out was canceled, but at that moment Smith received a call from Branch Ricky, the General Manager of the Brooklin Dodgers, and that is when Smith talk to Rickey about the quality of Robinson as a baseball player.